December 14th - A Prime Lens

Majority of people in today’s photography usually use a zoom lens and quite rightly so the versatility and the quality you can get from zoom lenses in today’s market is pretty impressive. But to get a real quality zoom lens which will give you a lot of light for your money i.e. f2.8 throughout the focal range, is a pretty expensive affair.  An alternative to this, if you require that wider aperture, is a prime lens. A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length for example the 50mm will always be 50mm and can’t be changed. So if you wanted to shoot at 35mm, 50mm and 100mm you would have to buy 3 lenses. Now you’re asking why you would want to spend money on 3 lenses when one zoom lens would suffice? But in the modern age of photography prime lenses still have a place and are a must for any kit bag, especially for the photographer who occasionally shoots in low light.  

When zoom lenses first arrived on the scene the optical quality rarely matched that of the prime lens.   In today's market the higher end zoom lenses generally produce similar quality as the prime but carry a very hefty price tag with them. At the lower end of the zoom lens market the prime lens will win every time.

The main advantages of prime lenses in modern day photography are price, weight and speed; you get a lot of light for your money with a prime lens! An inexpensive prime lens can generally provide as good or even better quality as a high-end expensive zoom lens. For example one of the best prime lenses that Canon produce is the Canon 50mm F1.4 which you can now get for £271; that’s unbelievable value for a lens which can produce pin sharp images in low light with milky blurred backgrounds! Nikon also do a 50mm lens which you can buy for just over £300 which is the Nikon 50mm F1.4. With every manufacture you will find a prime lens in their arsenal of lenses for a low price, that is why they are still a very attractive proposition in this day’s market!

Which Lens should I buy for Portrait Photography?

That’s the question I’ve been asked several times over the last couple of months and basically like most things photography it’s not straight forward with so many options to choose from. But there are a few pointers to consider when choosing the right portrait lens for you.

Firstly the kind of camera you have; for example if you have a camera with a crop factor then your focal length can start say from 30mm as this is going to give you a min focal length close to 50mm which is a good start for portraits. A good portrait lens focal range is anywhere between 50 to 100mm; shooting in wide angle can be a little unflattering on the subject. But don't forget the crop factor; a 50mm lens will capture images on your digital SLR more like a 75mm lens on a full frame digital SLR such as the Canon 5D MKII.

So it’s something to bear in mind when buying a lens, does my camera have a crop factor? If so what is it?

Secondly how fast do you want the lens i.e. what’s the maximum aperture your potential lenses have and is it consistent throughout the focal range? If you require F2.8 throughout the focal range then it’s going to cost you a bit more than F4 throughout the focal range. If your budget does not stretch to that then you will have to be prepared for a lens with max aperture at F3.5 wide angle and F5.6 at telephoto. Not only will the wide aperture give you  a fast shutter speed (due to more light entering the camera), it will also give you those beautiful blurred backgrounds. Alternatively you could consider a prime lens, see below.

Prime lens or zoom lens? There is no hard and fast rule on this subject and I could do a whole article on the pro’s and cons.  Basically I would look at it this way; what type of portraits are you looking to take? If you are looking to do mainly studio work or adult lifestyle shots then I would always recommend a prime lens, reason being you are in total control of the situation. Some prime lenses give you a lot of aperture for your money and can be dual purpose. For example the Canon 100mm F2.8 Macro lens makes a fantastic portrait lens as well as a macro lens. The L series lens can be bought for under £750 and the non L series lens can be bought for under £400 both are superb lenses.  

But let’s say you want to shoot weddings and lifestyle shots of kids doing what kids do best being very unpredictable. Unless you want to move around a lot you need that versatility to get those candid shots you looking for and that’s when the zoom lens plays its part. This is the reason why you see some wedding photographers with two cameras or two photographers. Usually one camera will have the prime lens for those portraits of the bride and groom and one with a zoom lens capturing the candid shots and the drama of the day. What do I use? Well when I’m doing a wedding I’ll use two lenses a Canon 70-200mm F2.8 and a Canon 24-105mm F4. The 24-105mm lens is used for the outdoor shots plus I can get a nice focal length for group shots. The 70-200mm is used for the low light shots such as a church or reception and those candid shots. (plus I’m a little lazy!)

Why not attend our Portrait Photography course and try your lens out for the day along with expert tuition!